Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has initiated a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and other officials in the Biden Administration. The suit, backed by a coalition of 16 states and America First Legal, challenges a new agency rule that grants "parole in place" to hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens. This policy change would allow certain classifications of illegal aliens to gain permanent residency status while remaining in the United States, contrary to federal law.
Federal statutes generally prohibit illegal aliens from obtaining most immigration benefits, including permanent resident status, without first leaving the country and being readmitted legally. However, DHS announced it would permit 1.3 million illegal aliens—over 200,000 residing in Texas—to apply for permanent residency without adhering to these legal requirements. Attorney General Paxton contends this action circumvents both the Constitution and laws established by Congress that limit parole authority to specific "case-by-case" determinations.
Attorney General Paxton is seeking injunctive relief from the court to prevent DHS from implementing this new policy until a trial can be conducted.
“Under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the federal government is actively working to turn the United States into a nation without borders and a country without laws. I will not let this happen,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Biden’s new parole workaround unilaterally grants the opportunity for citizenship to unvetted aliens whose first act on American soil was to break our laws. This violates the Constitution and actively worsens the illegal immigration disaster that is hurting Texas and our country.”
America First Legal serves as co-counsel in this lawsuit. Stephen Miller, President of America First Legal, commented: “Since our founding over three years ago, America First Legal has led the courtroom fight against the open borders agenda of Biden and Harris. We have sued time and again to fight their catastrophic policies. Today, we are proud to represent a coalition of 16 states in filing a lawsuit to block an unconstitutional Biden-Harris amnesty program. This executive amnesty gives over one million illegals legal status, work permits, and a path to voting citizenship. It is brazenly unlawful, a deadly accelerant to the ruinous border invasion, and we will use every lawful tool to stop it.”
To read more about the filing details can be accessed through official channels.